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Sasha Banks Talks To Chris Jericho, NXT Preview For Tonight, More

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– The latest edition of Chris Jericho’s “Talk Is Jericho” podcast, which is available right now, features an interview with NXT Women’s Champion Sasha Banks. The official description for the episode reads as follows:

“The current NXT Women’s Champion, Sasha Banks, sits down with Y2J to talk about her current title, her WWE debut, her break into wrestling, becoming “The Boss,” her “shared” Wrestlemania moment with Triple H, her cousin Snoop Dogg, and what she learned from Dusty Rhodes.”

You can download the show at PodcastOne.com.

– Jim Ross’ guest on next Tuesday night’s edition of “The Ross Report” podcast will be his former WCW announce partner Tony Schiavone. The show will be available at 9pm EST. at PodcastOne.com.

– The following matches were taped on July 16th at Full Sail University in Winter Park, Florida for tonight’s edition of NXT TV on the WWE Network.

* Solomon Crowe vs. Tye Dillinger
* Baron Corbin vs. Axel Tischer
* Finn Balor vs Marcus Louis
* Becky Lynch vs. Bayley [No. 1 Contender to the NXT Women’s Championship]

Lucha Underground Producer Gives An Update On Season 2

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Lucha Underground producer Eric Van Wagenen was a guest on this week’s episode of the Wrestling Compadres podcast and spoke about a potential second season for the show. Van Wagenen calls in around the 13-minute mark. He said:

“I can tell you with almost full certainty that it is going to happen. The when and the where is all dependent on our ability to raise enough money to keep the production standards the same.

We are all very committed to keeping Lucha Underground the best looking, most innovative and most creative wrestling product out there. Sometimes it comes at a price. Vignettes, editing, they’re not cheap. El Rey is a great network to work with, they just can’t justify spending the kind of money that you would get form much bigger cable channel.

We are looking for alternative ways to raise money, whether that’s a secondary broadcast network, steaming services. We know there’s a #NetflixNeedsLucha hashtag going around that’s gaining traction. We are looking at all of our options and that will determine the when and the where. There is talk of moving to a cheaper location. If I were to guess, I would say we would be back on the air by January…”

Everybody who is involved in the show is committed to keeping it on the air, but we are committed to keeping THIS show on the air. We don’t want to dumb it down, we don’t want to cheapen it. We have a great creative team in place, we want to keep everybody doing exactly what it is we’ve done in season 1, so we’re just working out the details.”

GFW Announces Deal To Promote Roddy Piper Movie, Says Piper Was Booked For GFW

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Global Force Wrestling issued a press release on Wednesday to announce a deal to promote a Roddy Piper film, noting Piper was originally scheduled to appear for GFW next week.

Below is the press release GFW issued on the subject:

Ridgerock Entertainment Group and Global Force Wrestling have teamed up for events to promote the Jan. 8, 2016, theatrical release of THE MASKED SAINT (Freestyle Releasing). The joint agreement will showcase the film’s commitment to the integrity of professional wrestling and focus on family entertainment. This coincides with the mission of GFW, which has brought new excitement and true family entertainment to the world of professional wrestling. This exciting partnership will be kicked off during GFW’s second TV taping at the Orleans Arena in Las Vegas on Friday, Aug. 21 .

“We are honored to be working with the filmmakers of THE MASKED SAINT,” said Jeff Jarrett, GFW founder and CEO. “Wrestling fans around the nation will enjoy this movie not only for its action-packed content, but also for the ‘fighting for justice’ message it portrays. We can’t wait to introduce them to this great movie.

“Roddy was scheduled to join us for the August show at the Orleans. In fact, I had spoken with him the day before he passed. He was a great friend and a great entertainer, and I was deeply saddened by the shocking news.”

A family-oriented action biopic inspired by true events, THE MASKED SAINT is written by Scott Crowell and Brett Granstaff, directed by Warren P. Sonoda, produced by Cliff McDowell, co-produced by David Anselmo and executive produced by Gary Granstaff and Joe Sisto. The movie stars Brett Granstaff (Vice) as Christopher ‘The Saint’ Samuels, Lara Jean Chorostecki (Hannibal), Oscar and Emmy nominee Diahann Carroll (“Grey’s Anatomy,” White Collar) who won a Golden Globe for her performance in “Julia,” Patrick McKenna (“The Red Green Show”), James Preston Rogers (Pixels) and features the late Pro Wrestling Hall of Famer “Rowdy” Roddy Piper in his last confirmed theatrical release.

“We are thrilled to partner with the high-energy, fan-friendly brand of GFW,” says Gary Granstaff, vice president at Ridgerock Entertainment Group. “We couldn’t think of a better way to debut our movie to the millions of wrestling fans than with the help of Jeff Jarrett, a true wrestling legend and his organization.”

For ticket information to the Aug. 21 show, go to: http://www.orleansarena.com/event-calendar/global-force-wrestling.

Jim Ross Q&A: When Undertaker Should Retire, Stephanie Slapping Him, New Day

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WWE Hall Of Famer Jim Ross recently updated the official Q&A section of his official website, JRsBarBQ.com. Below are some of the highlights.

On The New Day: “Very entertaining trio and I feel that they will soon be getting cheered. Good guys nonetheless who I wish the best for whether heel or face.”

On what makes a good “monster heel” in wrestling: “Even good, monster heels have to have an element of cowardice and bullyism to them. Pius, they have to cheat or tey are not a monster ‘heel.'”

On when The Undertaker should retire: “Time will tell, right? I’m for Taker staying as long as he chooses.”

On how painful Stephanie McMahon’s slaps are: “Steph is strong and she lays it in. Felt real to me.”

You can order JR’s Bar-B-Q products online at WWEShop.com.

Roman Reigns Comments On Fan Who Threw A MITB Briefcase At Him

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Roman Reigns spoke with the Miami Herald this week about the fan who threw a replica Money in the Bank briefcase into the ring at Saturday’s WWE live event that hit Reigns in the head.

“I was confused at first. I thought Bray hit me in the head with the kendo stick. So immediately I was like, ‘Aww man. You’re about to get it, brother. Aww, you’re about to get your [butt] whooped,’ but then I looked down, and I could see the briefcase. So then I’m trying to piece this thing together.

“If you see the video, you see me stand up to where I kind of got a little bit hot. Once I was able to process the situation in a matter of seconds, I knew what needed to be done, and our security team took care of it.”

Reigns praised the security team for taking care of the situation in an orderly fashion and said that even though he’s a pro wrestler, he’s a father and husband first.

“It was just a bad choice by a 31-year-old man, throwing briefcases at entertainers while they’re busting their [butt] for you. Everybody was on top of it. He was escorted out, briefly after, and luckily for me, [the briefcase] was plastic, so it didn’t hurt, but it’s scary. What if it was something that could have hurt me. Hit me in the eye.

“I’m a character and a sports entertainer and a wrestler, but I’m also a father and a husband and a provider. So for me that’s scary, because I’m just going out there to put on a good show and provide for my family and take care of my future, and if somebody takes that away from me… For what? For 10 seconds of Internet fame. That’s tough to deal with. That’s hard to process.”

Brian Kendrick Talks Training Eva Marie, His Work In NXT & More

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Brian Kendrick appeared as a guest on a recent edition of The Two Man Power Trip Of Wrestling Podcast to talk about training WWE Diva Eva Marie, his recent work in NXT and more. Below are some of the highlights from the interview.

On how he felt about his recent matches in NXT: “Those experiences were great. I got to wrestle a couple of buddies in the two matches I had down there, one with Sami Callihan (Solomon Crowe) the other with Fergal Devitt (Finn Balor) and both guys I knew before they were signed and both are guys that I am also a fan of just as people and as performers. To get asked to get to do these things was a lot of fun. It was a treat to get to wrestle such talented wrestlers.”

On how the NXT cameo came about: “It was just a lot of luck. They brought me down just to go to the developmental system because I have a wrestling school out here in Los Angeles, it was a chance for me to get to go down to see how the Performance Center runs things for a week and observe some things. So they decided to throw me a dark match and of course I brought my gear because that’s what any good wrestler does and it just so happened that it fell into my lap.”

On if his time at the Performance Center a tryout for future use as a trainer: “I guess it’s true in a sense but it wasn’t an official tryout. It was more of a come down and see how the system works. For me the whole point was to go down there and gain some knowledge as far as how they run things and the drills they do so I could prepare my wrestlers in a way that they won’t be completely caught off guard if they are lucky enough and work hard enough to somehow get an opportunity to perform at the Performance Center or get a tryout. It’s top notch. They’ve got something like five, six, seven rings. One of them is completely soft. So guys can try riskier stuff. They’ve got video rooms, they’ve got trainers on staff to both help you learn how to lift, trainers in a sense of medical care, they’ve got ice baths and all kinds of stuff. It’s as if you were going to any major NFL team or a baseball team it’s on that level.”

On if NXT end up killing the independent scene: “I don’t think it’s going to kill it. To me it’s genius that they took a style, the “indy” style which is very high paced, high risk, high intensity style of match and are seeing how it works in front of a WWE audience. As far as I could tell, anyone who watches NXT is a repeat viewer, they can come back and watch more because they enjoy it. I don’t know if it is going to hurt Ring of Honor when people learn that Kevin Owens was a Ring of Honor superstar so if people have this knowledge I’m sure it can help Ring of Honor in a bizarre way. I think if Ring of Honor markets itself as a “stars of tomorrow” I think it could be unbelievable because all those stars that came out of Ring of Honor that move on to NXT are hot stuff.”

On training Eva Marie and her progress as a performer: “She’s not the only one, they’ve sent a few women and they’ve sent the hopefuls to me but she’s the only one contracted. Having somebody that like her knows the system, where also she’ll be able to go on and wrestle, what you saw in NXT that was her first match since going to wrestling school. As proud as I was of it, hopefully people in the next few months will become a big fan of Eva Marie’s work and so the fact that they can come out of my school and go directly to TV for me on a selfish level I get more instant gratification that I get to see them come up quicker. At the same time, if I get to see one of my students, like a kid who came off the street who never knew anything about wrestling go onto to success I guess I would feel a different kind of pride since I saw them when they were wide eyed.”

On who from WWE made the call to ask him to help out: “The call wasn’t made from him but the call was made to me from Mr. Regal because we have a relationship from years past. He is one of the guys who helped train me and so the office knows our connection and he is the one who dealt with me. But as far as I know, Eva told me that she went to the higher-ups and asked to learn and train and they said that there is a school in Los Angeles so that way she can still do all of her appearances and so they can keep her in LA. Also it’s a way to see if I know how to train or not.”

Check out the complete interview at Podomatic.com.

Backstage Update On Plans For Sting’s WWE Return

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As recently as last month, there had been talk of Sting competing at SummerSlam, teaming with Roman Reigns and Dean Ambrose against the Wyatt Family.  One of the reasons WWE decided not to use Sting at this year’s SummerSlam pay-per-view is due to the fact that the card is already loaded with stars like The Undertaker, Brock Lesnar, actor Stephen Amell and others.

With that said, it’s possible WWE is waiting to use Sting as a hook to sell the WWE Network in September for Night Of Champions, which takes place in Texas, where Sting currently lives.

If Sting is used in September, it’s possible he will work the previously rumored six-man tag-team match with Roman Reigns and Dean Ambrose against Bray Wyatt, Luke Harper and Erick Rowan. A big factor in this match happening is Erick Rowan’s status, as he’s currently out of action due to injury and might not be back until November.

(Credit: F4WOnline.com)

Jushin Liger Addresses WWE Fans Ahead Of NXT Takeover: Brooklyn

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Triple H tweeted the following video of New Japan Pro Wrestling legend Jushin Liger addressing the WWE Universe. Liger will be making a special appearance at next weekend’s NXT Takeover: Brooklyn event in a match against Tyler Breeze.

Finn Balor Teases He Could Become A Paul Heyman Guy At SummerSlam

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NXT Champion Finn Balor posted a photo on Instagram that is sure to get fans talking. Balor is scheduled to defend the NXT title against Kevin Owens at NXT Takeover: Brooklyn next Saturday night and is teasing that he could be joining forces with Paul Heyman.

This is not the first time Finn Balor has considered becoming a Paul Heyman Guy. Over WrestleMania 31 weekend, Balor posted a photo of himself with Heyman with the caption, “Temping.”

While he might have simply been sharing a fan-made graphic to get people talking, the prospect of Balor aligning himself with WWE’s evil mastermind is intriguing to say the least.

https://instagram.com/p/6Qz_JYtxnA/

Stephanie Cashes Out Over $2 Million Of WWE Stock, Fittest Superstars Ranked & More

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– WWE’s Chief Brand Officer Stephanie McMahon cashed out over $2 million of WWE stock this week, selling 46,794 shares on Monday ($1,012,622) and another 59,137 shares on Tuesday ($1,222,953).

– Men’s Journal has published a feature ranking the 18 fittest WWE Superstars. The Rock topped the list, followed by Brock Lesnar, Seth Rollins, Sheamus and Cesaro, rounding out the top 5.

– Roddy Piper’s family was in attendance for last night’s WWE SmackDown tapings in Portland, Oregon, where the family lived for several years. The family was sitting at ringside as Eden opened the SmackDown tapings with a tribute and video package to Piper.

New John Cena Merchandise Reveals Major SummerSlam Spoiler?

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cena-15xWWEShop.com has added new merchandise for United States Champion John Cena that appears to spoil the outcome of his upcoming WWE Championship match against Seth Rollins at SummerSlam.

The new orange and green apparel features “Never Give Up” and a cartoon of Cena on the front, with “You Can’t See Me” and “15x” on the back. The “15x” is of course in reference to Cena’s 15 world title reigns.

WWE launching a whole new line of “15x Authentic Merchandise” for Cena just a week before next weekend’s PPV indicates that Cena will not be securing his record-tying 16th title reign at Summerslam.

Comment below and tell us who you think will be walking out of SummerSlam as WWE World Heavyweight champion – John Cena, Seth Rollins, or Mr. Money in the Bank, Sheamus.

Brad Maddox Now Known As Joshua Kingsley

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Brad Maddox has been testing out various gimmicks at recent live events and showed off his new blonde hair over the weekend.

The former WWE RAW General Manager competed in a dark match at last night’s WWE SmackDown tapings from Portland, Oregon, losing to Zack Ryder.

Prior to the match, Maddox cut a promo and announced that his new name is Joshua Kingsley.

Below is a fan photo from before the match:

John Cena Medically Cleared For SummerSlam

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WWE.com announced that United States Champion John Cena has been medically cleared to wrestle after undergoing surgery two weeks ago to correct a severely broken nose at the hands of WWE World Heavyweight champion Seth Rollins.

Cena appeared on Tough Enough and said Triple H giving John Cena a 50/50 chance that he’d be at  SummerSlam shows that Triple H isn’t a good odds-maker. Cena referred to Daniel Bryan’s “Yes!” chant in response to Chris Jericho asking if he’d be ready next Sunday.

John Cena and Seth Rollins will square off at SummerSlam in a Champion vs. Champion winner-takes-all match.

Finn Balor Talks NXT Takeover, Connecting With WWE Fans & More

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NXT Champion Finn Balor recently spoke with Brian Fritz of SportingNews.com to promote next weekend’s NXT Takeover: Brooklyn live event. Here are some highlights of what he said about:

Adapting to the WWE Style:

“Well, I’m not sure who it looks from the outside but for me personally it’s been very difficult. There’s a lot of subtle differences that go into changing your style up and adapting to a new style of work here in WWE. It’s something that I’ve very grateful for the help I’ve been given by the company. It’s not just in the ring but outside and in the back and life. It’s been a bit of a struggle getting used to life in the states, adapting to a new lifestyle. I was used to getting home maybe once a month while I was in Japan. Trying to battle a bit of home sickness at the moment but professionally it’s been going great. I feel like I’ve been improving every day and learning. I thought that maybe I peaked in Japan. I feel like now I’m starting at the bottom again and working my way up. I had to apply myself differently to different things. It’s been a real learning experience over the last year and I’m looking forward to the next couple of years.”

Connecting with the WWE fans:

“It’s really humbling. And I always go back to this one point. It was first appearance for NXT at Full Sail when I came out to help Hideo (Itami). You kind of forget how big the reach that pro wrestling has around the world. I guess I got stuck in my own little bubble in Japan thinking that what I was doing in Japan was only available to the New Japan fans. But when I first walked out on NXT and they flashed Prince Devitt and the reaction that it got. And then I came to the ring at Full Sail University, the crowd was just on fire. From there, it’s just kind of snowballed around the WWE Universe. It’s very humbling that my work — my previous work — has had. Just the extent of the reach that the WWE Universe has around the world is incredible. I just got back from Australia and there were Finn Balor shirts and kids painted as Finn Balor and down in Australia where I’ve never wrestled before. It’s really a very humbling experience. “

His first ladder match at Takeover: Brooklyn against Kevin Owens:

“I’ve been involved in a few stunts and hardcore matches that have involved ladders but I’ve never been in a specific ladder match. So this is something very new to me. I’ve been doing a good bit of homework watching my good buddy Neville and his match against Bo Dallas for the NXT Championship. I know I may be considered the underdog going into this match with Kevin having a lot of experience in ladder matches but I’ve up for the challenge. I’m excited. It’s something new. I think the sold out Barclays Center in Brooklyn is going to be in for a treat.”

*Spoilers* WWE SmackDown Taping Results For This Week

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WWE taped this week’s edition of WWE SmackDown on Tuesday night, August 11, 2015, in Portland, Oregon. Below are spoiler results from the tapings.

– This week’s edition of WWE SmackDown kicked off with a touching tribute to one of Portland, Oregon’s own, the late WWE Hall Of Famer “Rowdy” Roddy Piper. Piper’s family is at ringside for tonight’s show.

– Seth Rollins begins the normal portion of the show by cutting a promo comparing himself to Michael Jordan and Babe Ruth. He mentions John Cena appearing on WWE Tough Enough and says he wants him to show up on RAW to accept his title vs. title SummerSlam challenge. Neville comes out and interrupts. He says he wants another title shot, however then Cesaro comes out. Out of nowhere, Kevin Owens attacks Cesaro from behind while Rollins beats down Neville.

– Charlotte def. Naomi in Divas action, as the “Diva Revolution” continued on SmackDown. The finish of this match saw Naomi tap out after Charlotte applied the Figure 8 submission hold.

– Ryback comes to the ring for a promo as we see what happened on RAW with MizTV. He talks about defending against The Miz and Big Show at SummerSlam until Bo Dallas interrupts. Bo wants to be added to the match at SummerSlam but Ryback disses him. Bo attacks but gets left laying with a Meathook.

– Bray Wyatt and Luke Harper come to the ring for a promo. Dean Ambrose comes out next followed by Roman Reigns for his match against Harper. Reigns wins by DQ when Wyatt runs in and stops a pin.

– The Prime Time Players defeated The New Day in a non-title match.

– Seth Rollins and Kevin Owens defeated Cesaro and Neville after Rollins had a handful of tights when pinning Cesaro.

*Spoilers* WWE Main Event Taping Results For This Week

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WWE taped the following matches for this week’s edition of WWE Main Event prior to the WWE SmackDown television taping on Tuesday night in Portland, Oregon.

– Becky Lynch def. Sasha Banks in Divas action in a dark match taped prior to the start of the WWE Main Event television taping.

– Rusev def. Fandango in the first match taped for Main Event. This match basically amounted to a one-sided squash match, with Rusev picking up the “W” by way of his Accolade submission finisher.

– Jack Swagger def. Adam Rose in singles action in the second of three matches taped for this week’s broadcast. This match was given a little bit of time, but the crowd never really got into it.

– Stardust & King Barrett def. Mark Henry & R-Truth in tag-team action as the headline match taped for Main Event. There was more crowd heat for this match compared to the others taped for the show. After this match, the set was switched to prepare for the SmackDown television taping.

CM Punk Gets Involved In Vicious “Twitter War” With Ranked UFC Fighter, Personal Shots Taken

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UFC contender Cathal Pendred took a shot at CM Punk’s striking abilities, based on a short clip of Punk sparring shown on FOX Sports 1, which ultimately led to a pretty vicious “Twitter War” between the Irish contender and the WWE Superstar turned UFC prospect.

On Tuesday, Pendred, an Irish fighter who is friends with one of UFC’s biggest stars — “The Notorious” Conor McGregor — took to social media to mock the striking abilities of Punk, writing, “CM Punk on the pads making me look like Muhammad Ali,” in response to the clip that shows Punk hitting pads at the Roufusport Gym in Milwaukee, Wisconsin.

Punk, never one to back down from a verbal exchange, fired back at Pendred on Twitter, alluding to the fact that Pendred may have been on the positive end of a few “gift decisions” from UFC judges in the past.

“Ali wasn’t a boring twat. Sweet emojis,” wrote Punk in response to Pendred. “Focus more on you, maybe you’ll win a fight without a gift from the judges.”

Pendred then pulled the veteran card, replying to Punk’s response by reminding him that he has actually won 17 cage fights, compared to Punk’s zero.

“I’ve actually won 17 professional fights,” said Pendred. “How many have you won?”

Finally, Punk, who refused to back down, shared his belief that Pendred might not be the most exciting, crowd-pleasing fighter on the UFC roster.

“Zero, but I know you’re supposed to put the guy you’re fighting to sleep, not the audience.” wrote Punk, who concluded by writing, “F*ck off.”

WWE RAW Viewership For This Week

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Monday’s 8/10 edition of WWE RAW averaged 3.84 million viewers, up 4% from last week. This was the best viewership for RAW since June 15th, the show after the passing of Dusty Rhodes.

Here’s the hourly breakdown for this week:

  • Hour 1: 3.79 million viewers
  • Hour 2: 3.95 million viewers
  • Hour 3: 3.78 million viewers

RAW was the #2 highest rated show on cable for the night behind Major Crimes on TNT.

Next week’s “go home” show before SummerSlam will feature appearances from The Undertaker and Brock Lesnar, so WWE should have some good momentum headed into the PPV.

Jim Ross Blog: Fan Attacking Roman Reigns, Taker/Lesnar Special, NXT Takeover

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WWE Hall Of Famer Jim Ross recently updated his official blog with his thoughts and opinions on a number of current topics. Below are some of the highlights.

On the fan attacking Roman Reigns at a WWE show: “It takes a real idiot to get physically involved in a pro wrestling match as a ‘fan’ and I use that term loosely did in Victoria, B.C. with Roman Reigns over the weekend. I think the guy should have been jailed and not just banned for life from WWE events as how is that going to be legislated? The ignorant person is lucky this happened in this era and not in a previous generation or his penalty would have been handled on site, in the back of the arena, for better or for worse. Cowboy Bill Watts enjoyed being the judge, jury and executioner when unruly, often times inebriated fans got physical with the talents. These fans got assaulted, I’m not condoning this, and then they still went to jail.”

On The Undertaker/Brock Lesnar WWE Network special: “Anxious to watch the Undertaker-Lesnar TV special that will air on the WWE Network after RAW. The four hour Summer Slam has two, primary bouts of major interest at this time with Taker vs. Brock being on top right before Cena vs Rollins, Title vs Title. I’m interested a great deal in both these main events and how they will be creatively addressed and how they may, or may not, impact Wrestlemania.”

On NXT Takeover: Brooklyn selling out the Barclays Center: “Congrats to WWE NXT for selling out the Barclay Center in Brooklyn the night before Summer Slam and at the same time as our RINGSIDE w/ Jim Ross Show in NYC at the Gramercy Theater. NXT is an amazing success story that poses an interesting conundrum for WWE and that is how do they introduce all the young talents that are ready to be called up in a manner that is impactful and memorable? These ‘introductions’ are critical to the process. I’d estimate that approximately 14,000 fans will sell out the Barclay Center three nights in a row for WWE themed events which is an amazing accomplishment.”

Check out the complete blog at JRsBarBQ.com. You can also order JR’s Bar-B-Q products online at WWEShop.com.

Video: Ethan Carter III Involved In “Twerk-Off,” Gets Kissed By Male Wrestler

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Following his victory over Ricky Reyes at the Ace Anarchy event this past weekend, TNA World Heavyweight Champion Ethan Carter III received a post-match surprise, one he was likely not too thrilled to be receiving.

After the match, EC3 was celebrating in the ring, and while doing so, ended up involved in an impromptu “Twerk-Off” dance competition with Ace’s rising star Sonny Kiss.

What happened next was something Carter was likely not expecting — a big ole’ smooch.

Check out the video above to watch the twerk off and “the kiss heard ’round the world.”

3 Matches Announced For Tonight’s WWE Tough Enough

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WWE Tough Enough host Chris Jericho announced on Twitter that the remaining competitors will have their first matches on tonight’s show:

  • ZZ vs. Josh
  • Amanda vs. Sara Lee
  • Tanner vs. GiGi

John Cena will also be making a guest appearance on tonight’s episode.

Private Roddy Piper Memorial Planned For 8/17 In Hollywood

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The following was issued on Tuesday …

Private Roddy Piper Memorial at The World Famous Comedy Store in Hollywood, Planned for August 17, 2015

A private memorial is in the works for beloved pro wrestler, actor and comedian “Rowdy” Roddy Piper who passed away last week at his home in Hollywood, California. Set to take place Monday, August 17th at The Comedy Store, this private memorial will include friends from all facets of Roddy Piper’s life and career which ran the gamut of wrestling, acting, stand up comedy, live and broadcast TV, film and numerous business and charitable ventures. His closest friends/colleagues in L.A. will share stories and experiences about Roddy over the years.

The service will be private. Anyone from the pro wrestling or MMA world wishing to attend should contact Rick Bassman and [email protected]

Organizer and Roddy Piper friend, comic Steve Simeone said of the event “The Comedy Store is the adopted home of so many ‘comic orphans’ and Roddy became like a dad or big brother to all of us. He became family. I wanted to have a get together where we could get up and share our favorite stories about this incredible man who we all love and will miss greatly. This is a night for Roddy’s friends to celebrate what a great friend he was to all of us.”

Roddy Piper’s daughter, actress Ariel Teal Toombs had this to say about the memorial, “I know a lot of people wanting something like this in L.A., especially because the funeral will be up in Oregon and a lot of folks won’t be able to make that trip. It means a lot that Steve and the Comedy Store family are putting this together.”

Memorial co-organizer, Pro Wrestling and Mixed Martial Arts agent, producer and longtime friend of Piper, Rick Bassman commented, “Roddy’s sudden death has hit all in the Pro Wrestling and MMA worlds pretty hard. I’m very grateful that the Comedy Store is doing this and we intend to see that Roddy is remembered in a way that would make him proud.”

Also helping to organize this send off is Mitch Ackerman, Roddy’s best friend who remarked, “I appreciate all the love and support from all the friends and fans of Roddy’s. Other than Madison Square Garden I don’t think there is a more appropriate place to have this memorial than at the Comedy Store ”

The Toombs family also wants the worldwide public who can’t attend his private funeral or memorial to know that a moment of silence is planned August 11th at 10 am PST. Details here:

http://j.mp/RoddyPiper_MomentOfSilence

Videos: Stephanie McMahon Talks About WWE’s Strategy With NXT, Social Media

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Stephanie McMahon was in Las Vegas two weeks ago and spoke at the 2015 Experian Marketing Services Client Summit, which was attended by several UFC employees. UFC employees were said to be very impressed with the way Stephanie represented the WWE brand and the company’s promotional strategy.

Stephanie pushed the NXT brand and noted that WWE is well aware that the main product is not going to be embraced by their entire audience. She acknowledged that fans have varied tasted in what they’re looking for, which was a big part of WWE’s initiative to make NXT a full fledged touring brand.

WWE positioning NXT as a minor-league brand with high production values allows the company to cater to indie wrestling fans who will connect with the next generation of talent and follow their journeys to the main roster.

She also pushed the idea that WWE having two different styles will result in each brand helping each other. The idea is fans that like the NXT style will follow their favorite Superstars and Divas to the main roster and the main roster fans will watch NXT to see the future Superstars and Divas first, with the idea that they will become bigger stars because of it.

Hit up Page 2 below for video of Stephanie McMahon’s panel at the 2015 Experian Marketing Services Client Summit from Las Vegas.

Details On John Cena Auditioning For More Movies, How It Will Affect His WWE Schedule

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John Cena is continuing to explore his options in the entertainment industry, which could mean a reduced schedule for WWE’s most decorated champion in the coming months.

Cena got rave reviews for his role in the Amy Schumer/Judd Apatow comedy “Trainwreck” and will be appearing in “Sisters” with Tina Fey and Amy Poehler later this year. Cena has been auditioning for more movie roles and is said to be shopping around a reality show independent from WWE.

While Cena makes it known that WWE will always his top priority, Vince McMahon has seen guys like The Rock and Batista be lured away by Hollywood success and is aware that Cena won’t be able to perform at the highest level forever. With Cena branching out into acting, we could very well see him working a reduced schedule that allows him to continue wrestling (and promoting his outside projects) while remaining a top name for WWE.

WWE Legend Says Brock Lesnar Is Dangerous & Doesn’t Seem To Care About His Opponents

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During a recent appearance on the Last Round Podcast, WWE Hall of Famer Hacksaw Jim Duggan’s talked about Brock Lesnar and The Steiner Brothers being unsafe in the ring. Here’s their exchange:

Duggan: “You know the guy (presumably The Undertaker), he does a lot of high risk moves for an older man, out there taking… working with Brock Lesnar is dangerous anyway because Brock doesn’t seem to care about his partner. It’s easy to hurt people though. If I give you my body, then you gotta take care of me. Some guys don’t give a darn and Brock doesn’t give a darn, he’ll just throw people around. Steiners used to be like that.”

Host: “I think the politically correct way to say it is, they don’t know their own strengths…”

Duggan: “No, no, no… they take advantage of people. They take advantage of people. When you get another hardnose out there they seem to loosen up really quick.”

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